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Please help me save my rose

maxijammaxijam Posts: 27
in Problem solving
Hi all, I've got a patio rose which has been great with two flushes per year the past few years. It was great in the first one this year but now it's just got more and more poorly. I can't see any aphids or anything. I've fed it and tried a weak solution of neem oil but it's still looking spindly. I've bought some rose compost in the hope a replant might help but I'd be grateful for any advice. A friend gave it to me so I'd hate to lose it. 

Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    How long has it been in the same pot and compost? It looks quite old and the level is pretty low. If the roots aren't filling the pot you could take it out, carefully remove some of the old compost and repot in the same pot with fresh compost. A soil-based compost like John Innes No 3 formula is best, so check what's in the rose compost. If the roots are reaching the edge of the pot it needs a bigger one. I think I'd leave that until next spring though, when it will be ready to grow away (the compost will be fine kept somewhere dry until then).
    It would also look much better with the brown and black dead wood pruned off - you could do that straight away.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I agree with the above. The only thing I'd add is that John Innes compost by itself doesn't drain well, so add about 25% horticultural grit or perlite to ensure good drainage and put the pot on something to raise it off the ground just a little so the drainage hole doesn't block over winter and cause the roots to rot.
    You can buy pot feet, but I just use a few bits of wood off cuts to raise the pot off the ground a little.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • maxijammaxijam Posts: 27
    Thanks for all that. I only potted it up into the bigger pot this year (or maybe last?). Not that long though as it was in a smaller one. I'm not sure why it's lower. I hadn't noticed that. I'll give it a tidy and check the roots and see how they're doing. Thanks for the advice. 
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Another way of getting more compost into the same pot is to take the plant out of the pot, remove the crocks from the bottom of the rootball and put them back in the pot, put some fresh compost in the pot and put the rose back in so it's at the correct height, about where the rim of the pot starts, then fill in any gaps around the sides. Again spring would be better for this. It'll be starting to shut down for the winter soon so you don't want to be encouraging growth.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • maxijammaxijam Posts: 27
    Ah ok. I will just tidy it up and then repot it in the spring when hopefully it will grow with gusto again. Thanks for all the help 😊
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited October 2023
    It's a prroblem to throw money at.  Roses are dead cheap.  Forget the sentiment, throw it out and buy a stronger growing rose more suited to a pot.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • maxijammaxijam Posts: 27
    Thanks, but the others have said it is hopefully possible to save and the sentiment in this case is important to me so I'm going to follow their advice as it's been growing in pots for the last few years very happily. 
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    If it doesn't improve next year, maybe you could find a space to plant it in the ground?
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • maxijammaxijam Posts: 27
    JennyJ said:
    If it doesn't improve next year, maybe you could find a space to plant it in the ground?
    Yes, that's certainly an option I could look into. Thanks very much, Jenny 😊
  • maxijammaxijam Posts: 27
    Update :I ended up deciding to repot it. Emptying out the compost it had several large silver, c shaped grubs in it. It seems these are chafer grubs and it said they feed on the root. I washed out the pot and put in new proper rose compost so fingers crossed. 
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